Academy Press PLC and Ekenua & Co. Limited have officially launched the Million Classics Programme, a civic education initiative designed to equip secondary school students with critical thinking, moral reasoning and leadership skills through the study of timeless literary classics.

The programme began with its inaugural Launch Cycle on 24 June 2026, placing the first 1,500 copies of George Orwell’s Animal Farm into the hands of students across three senior secondary schools in Ilupeju, Lagos. The rollout marks the first phase of a broader expansion across schools within Lagos State Education District VI.

The Million Classics Programme is a joint initiative between Academy Press PLC, one of Nigeria’s leading educational printers with more than six decades of experience, and Ekenua & Co. Limited, a strategy and programme delivery firm operating between London and Lagos.

At the heart of the programme is a structured learning journey that goes beyond simply distributing books. Students will read a selected classic, participate in guided classroom discussions, write original essays assessed by an independent panel, and be recognised at an awards ceremony where outstanding participants will receive cash prizes and three-year scholarships.

The Launch Cycle is being implemented in partnership with the Office of the Tutor-General and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Education District VI, under the leadership of Mrs. Mojisola Christiana Yusuff through the district’s Reading Culture Initiative.

As part of the programme, participating students will also take part in a thematic essay competition during the summer holiday, encouraging them to explore the themes of Animal Farm while developing their analytical thinking and writing skills.

Speaking at the launch, Mrs. Oluwakemi Ogunnubi, Managing Director of Academy Press PLC, said the initiative reflects the company’s long-standing commitment to education.

“Academy Press has printed books for Nigerian classrooms for over sixty years, and we understand what it means when a young person opens a book that will stay with them for life. The Million Classics Programme is an ambitious and important undertaking, and we are proud to be founding it in partnership with Ekenua & Co. Placing the world’s great classics into the hands of Nigerian secondary school students—beginning today in Lagos—is exactly the kind of work we believe our industry should be doing.”

For Osamede Okhomina, Managing Director of Ekenua & Co. Limited, the programme is about cultivating independent thinkers.

“Our students can read. What we owe them is the chance to think—carefully, critically and for themselves. Great books, paired with meaningful engagement, remain one of the most effective ways to nurture readers who become thinkers, and thinkers who become leaders. This Launch Cycle is only the beginning of what we hope will become a nationwide movement.”

Local Programme Lead Maxwell Marshall acknowledged the support of the Lagos State Education District VI and participating schools.

“We are grateful for the cooperation of the Tutor-General’s office, our partner schools, educators and supporters who share our belief that access to great books, combined with structured engagement, can broaden perspectives and shape lifelong learning.”

The Million Classics Programme is designed as a long-term national initiative that will introduce young Nigerians to the world’s enduring classics through structured reading, discussion and creative expression. Its long-term vision is to expand across Nigeria through a State Sponsor model, giving students nationwide greater opportunities to develop the intellectual and leadership skills needed for the future.

About Million Classics

Million Classics is a Nigerian civic education programme that uses classic literature to develop critical thinking, moral reasoning and leadership among secondary school students. Through structured reading, guided discussions, essay writing and public recognition, the programme aims to nurture a new generation of thoughtful readers, confident communicators and future leaders.

The programme is delivered through a joint venture between Academy Press PLC and Ekenua & Co. Limited and is overseen by a joint Steering Committee.